Converting the Îles‑de‑la‑Madeleine transmission system to 34.5 kV
Study area
Line route
Having defined a study area and assessed the best route for the new line, Hydro‑Québec presented its findings in fall 2025. The new route will initially follow the line’s existing right‑of‑way and will then run alongside municipal roads and Route 199 up to Havre‑aux‑Maison and Grosse‑Île substations.
See the underground line route [PDF 545 kB ‑ in French only]
Hydro‑Québec and the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD) have agreed on terms of use for the right‑of‑way along Route 199. Also, to limit the project’s impact on the marine environment, the MTMD will allow electric cables to be run along the three bridges between Cap‑aux‑Meules and Grosse‑Île.
The dismantling of the overhead line section will also require various analyses:
- Demarcation of the shoreline to determine how many poles are currently located in the boundary of the littoral zone. The current line has more than 450 poles.
Characterization of the site has revealed that:
- 29 poles are in boundary of the littoral zone
- 44 poles are located in the riparian buffer strip
Environmental and technical challenges
Based on a preliminary assessment of available data and environmental characteristics, the main technical and environmental challenges associated with the line reconstruction are:
- The small size of the territory, which leaves few alternative route options
- The presence of several sensitive environments and species
- Shoreline erosion
- Extreme weather conditions
- The visual integration of the line in the landscape
- The impact of the work on traffic, particularly during the tourist season
Connect with us
We’re committed to keeping the lines of communication open. Please send us your questions and comments about the project.
